Ford's Next Supercar

When Ford reincarnated the GT40 as the Ford GT, the Dearborn company launched more than a look-alike GT40—it rekindled the fire of Ford excellence among enthusiasts. The mid-engine super­car delivered no-excuses perform­ance and surprising daily-driver competence, a combination signaling Ford was again among the world's elite car makers.

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Since the Ford GT's brief run—it zoomed through just the 2005 and '06 model years—Ford has continued its impressive forward march. It weathered the financial downturn with grace and without taxpayer assistance, and has continued to develop innovative new products. But it has done so without a flagship to highlight its energy or excellence; isn't it time for Ford to again revisit the greatest car it ever built, the iconic GT40?

We think so. Ford certainly has the building blocks already in-house. Its fresh 5.0-liter twincam, 4-valve V-8 with independent valve timing is the perfect basis for a new Ford GT engine. The naturally aspirated 412-bhp "Coyote" V-8 was designed from the first to package direct gasoline fuel injection, and its front engine dress already provides for a belt-driven supercharger. Given its state-of-the-art breathing and advanced cooling, the 5.0 could reach 600 bhp with streetable boost, and because it is smaller and lighter than the Ford GT's 5.4 V-8, the car would handle better, too.

Alternately, Ford could showcase its EcoBoost technology—the combination of direct fuel injection and turbocharging—by fitting it to the 5.0-liter V-8 in a new Ford GT for even greater power on pump gasoline. However, with Ford on a weight-reduction diet, a large V-8 might be out of the question, making the rumored EcoBoost 3.5-liter V-6 engine a better fit. It's no secret the EcoBoost V-6 is not overly stressed in its current applications; due to limitations of the front-wheel-drive transaxle it's held to just 350 lb.-ft. of torque in the Taurus SHO, for example. In the more robust F-150, the same engine delivers 420 lb.-ft. of torque along with 365 bhp. Rumors have a 400-bhp EcoBoost V-6 already in testing, with more power possible given a displacement increase. Ford already has a naturally aspirated 3.7-liter version of the 3.5 EcoBoost engine in production that might serve that purpose.

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But wouldn't an avant-garde flagship benefit from a more exotic or even a hybrid powertrain? Perhaps, but given the GT's approachable pricing and relatively high sales goals, an expensive, heavy, redundant electric hybrid drivetrain is not a good fit, and Ford is not known for sports-oriented diesels like German carmakers, or the far-reaching fuel-cell technology we associate with Honda. Instead, Ford is dedicated to its here-and-now combination of direct injection, turbocharging and variable cam timing bundled under the EcoBoost banner. Although there is no word on the chassis and driveline layout, we expect the new GT to be a rear-biased all-wheel-drive design, aided by the latest electronic aids. A bit of drive to the front wheels will lend this new GT a granite-slab stability that strikes the appropriate balance between dry performance and all-weather security.

As for design, the Ford GT patterned itself off the athletically compact GT40 Mk II. But the lithe animal magnetism of the GT40 Mk IV, one of the most seductively voluptuous set of curves ever unleashed upon helpless men, has yet to be tamed for the street. What a visceral coup to combine such aerodynamics, modern V-8 power and Ford's electronic leadership in one package.

To get a proper gauge on what the Dearborn company might do to create a new GT, we've commissioned three artists to create their own versions of Ford's supercar. The first, Camilo Pardo, has the distinction of being the talented designer who so beautifully captured the essence of the original with the current (but discontinued) GT. Pardo no longer works for Ford, but he clearly has some great ideas as to the styling direction of a new GT. Our other two designers, Lars (Larson) Sältzer and Radovan Varicak, may be familiar to readers because they have had their creative work appear in R&T for more than a decade.

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Our goal with these three illustrations of the possible new Ford GT is simple and twofold—we want to encourage Ford to build a new American supercar, and we want you, the reader, to help us pick the best design. We encourage you to do this by scanning our 2D codes, texting or visiting roadandtrack.com/vote and voting for your favorite. We promise to send the results to Ford.

With any luck, perhaps we'll see a new GT, say, five years from now as a 2016 model—what better way to mark the 50th anniversary of the GT40's first win at Le Mans? And of course, the new GT must go back to the French circuit to recapture the sound and image of a Ford GT Mk IV thundering down the Mulsanne, with headlights blazing and moonlight curved over its arching fenders.

The Lincoln Connection

Like a lonely exhaust note heard from miles away, faint whispers are telling us that Ford's next supercar may not be a GT, but rather...a Lincoln.

Using the time-honored 2-seat mid-engine formula, the rumored super Lincoln is more about suave sophistication than performance dominance. It will highlight reduced weight and increased efficiency over outright brawn, neatly sidestepping the already crowded faster-than-you mid-engine market. Interest will come from a good power-to-weight ratio rather than piling on muscle, and relevancy is ensured by sub-stratospheric pricing of under $150,000. A true mass-market automaker, Ford prefers its upcoming flagship be a real-world package designed to sell in the thousands, not the hundreds.

If a Lincoln supercar seems odd compared to a more conventional upgraded Ford GT derivative, it makes good sense in Ford's conference room. From Dearborn's perspective the Blue Oval's performance credentials have been repeatedly stamped "valid" thanks to a strong Mustang GT, chest-thumping Shelby GT500 and yes, the recent Ford GT. In the current green climate, adding another Ford-branded supercar on top of this already powerful performance-car line seems counter­productive to Dearborn management.

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On the other hand, Lincoln must move up. With Jaguar, Volvo and Mercury now gone, Lincoln is Ford's sole premium brand, and it currently doesn't quite punch at its weight. In fact, many of Ford's better offerings are surprisingly upscale when fully optioned, quietly delivering nearly every comfort and feature of their Lincoln counterparts. With Lincoln's goal to pull ahead of the already advanced Fords and join the world's elite, the storied luxury brand needs an attention-getting flagship to reposition itself against the best European and Japanese premium brands.

With Lincoln's luxury association already firm, along with a growing appreciation for its newfound trouble-free quality, repurposing Lincoln means an injection of performance and cutting-edge technology is necessary.

If a 400-bhp EcoBoost V-6 appears somewhat conventional in supercar context, its performance in a classy, lightweight mid-engine sportster would be exhilarating. The recent Ford GT employed a thirsty, supercharged 5.4-liter V-8 to reach 200 mph and low 12-second quarter-mile times, perform­ance goals sufficient for the Über-Lincoln to hold anyone's attention. And that should be easy given the EcoBoosted V-6's superior torque yet revvable top-end in a lightweight awd chassis.

Where the stereotype-busting Lincoln could easily make headlines is in electronics. Besides the next incremental steps in braking and stability control, don't be surprised to find the Lincoln cannot only parallel park itself, but can autonomously drive itself. The foundations of such technology are already present in current Fords and Lincolns. Electrically assisted power steering has made integrating self-parking, and by extension, self-steering, relatively easy, while radar-guided speed control and augmented braking provide the electronic "eyes" a self-driving car requires. Much work remains in optimizing the software to more accurately recognize what the radar surveillance is telling it, but Ford engineers are already saying self-driving cars will be an emerging reality in four years. What better way for Lincoln to one-up the world when re-inventing itself as a technology leader.

Similarly, the goal of the super Lincoln's interior is to be second to none. Expect the finest materials and most complete electronic integration conceivable. Increased integration into the owner's daily life is already well underway with Ford's Sync connectivity service, and is it too much of a stretch to imagine Lincoln's supercar seamlessly synchronizing both workplace and household to-do lists on a dash-mounted display? It seems almost a given if the Lincoln is already doing the driving.

If a classy, hot-rod Lincoln seems too out of character, recall that Lincoln-Mercury dealers once sold such a car, the Pantera. Ultimately, that attempt at injecting luxurious high-tech perform-ance into Ford's premium-brand dealerships fell to poor build quality from a distant supplier. But those are problems Ford solved long ago, and as Ford goes from engineering to financial strength, returning Lincoln to the forefront of automakers seems the next logical step.